Issues with Displaying Photos and Videos on Recalbox

[robertdan99]

Hi everyone,

I'm having some trouble with displaying photos and videos on my Recalbox setup, and I'm hoping someone here can help me out.

I recently set up Recalbox on my Raspberry Pi to relive some classic games, and it's been working great for that. However, I also wanted to use it to show some family photos and videos. I tried adding my media files to the system, but I'm encountering a few issues:

1. File Formats: I have photos in various formats (JPEG, PNG) and videos in MP4. Are these formats compatible with Recalbox? If not, what formats should I convert them to?

2. Directory Structure: Where should I place my photos and videos on the Recalbox SD card? Is there a specific folder I need to create or a particular directory I should use?

3. Display Settings: When I try to open my photos, some of them don't display correctly, and the videos don't play smoothly. Are there recommended display settings or configurations for optimal photo and video playback on Recalbox?

4. Slideshow Feature: Is there a built-in slideshow feature for displaying photos in a continuous loop? If not, are there any add-ons or external applications that integrate well with Recalbox for this purpose?

5. Performance Issues: My Recalbox sometimes lags or freezes when trying to display high-resolution photos or videos. Is this a hardware limitation of the Raspberry Pi, or are there settings I can tweak to improve performance?

I appreciate any advice or tips from those who have experience with using Recalbox for photo and video playback. Thanks in advance for your help!

Best regards,

[faelannm]

As per my knowledge For displaying photos & videos on Recalbox i have some tips that you can consider

Recalbox supports JPEG, PNG & MP4. Ensure files are correctly encoded.
You can place media in your media folder & creating subfolders if needed.
You can Adjust resolution and refresh rate in Recalbox settings.
Recalbox lacks a built-in slideshow feature. Consider using external apps.
High res files may lag. Try lowering resolution or bitrate & ensure proper cooling.
Hope this help you

[Johneria]

Hi there,

It sounds like you're having some compatibility and performance issues with displaying photos and videos on your Recalbox setup. Let me offer a few solutions:

File Formats: Recalbox primarily focuses on retro gaming, so its support for media playback can be limited. While JPEG and PNG should work for photos, videos in MP4 may not play as smoothly depending on the codec used. You could try converting videos to a lower resolution or using a different format like AVI or MKV to see if that helps.

Directory Structure: For media files, you should place them in the /share/roms/media or /share/media directory. If these folders don’t exist, you can create them yourself. This is generally where the system looks for non-game media.

Display Settings: The Raspberry Pi, depending on the model, can struggle with higher-resolution photos and videos. Try reducing the resolution of both your photos and videos to improve playback. For videos, a resolution of 720p or lower is recommended.

Slideshow Feature: Unfortunately, Recalbox doesn’t have a built-in slideshow feature. However, you can use external software like Kodi, which can be installed on the same Raspberry Pi, and offers robust media playback features, including slideshows.

Performance Issues: Performance bottlenecks are likely due to hardware limitations, especially if you're using a lower-end Raspberry Pi. To improve performance, try overclocking the Raspberry Pi (if you haven’t already) or lowering the quality of the media you’re displaying. If you still encounter issues, upgrading to a Raspberry Pi 4 or switching to a more media-focused OS like LibreELEC for your media needs might be worth considering.

I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance.

By the way, if you’re into modded apps, check out this resource for WINK VIDEO EDITOR 🥰.

Best regards, [jOHNERIA]

[ewerger]

unlucky, it doesn’t have a built-in slideshow feature. However, you can use external software like Kodi, which can be installed on the same Raspberry Pi.

Short URL: https://forum.recalbox.com/topic/34855/issues-with-displaying-photos-and-videos-on-recalbox/4

[bentennyson]

Recalbox doesn’t have a built-in slideshow feature, but you can use Kodi, which runs on the same Raspberry Pi and offers great media playback, including slideshows. If videos lag, try reducing resolution or switching formats. For best performance, store media in /share/media and consider using a Raspberry Pi 4 for smoother playback.

[bentennyson]

@bentennyson said in Issues with Displaying Photos and Videos on Recalbox:

Recalbox doesn’t have a built-in slideshow feature, but you can use Kodi, which runs on the same Raspberry Pi and offers great media playback, including slideshows. If videos lag, try reducing resolution or switching formats. For best performance, store media in /share/media and consider using a Raspberry Pi 4 for smoother playback.

Forgot to mention a few key details in my last comment. While Recalbox doesn’t natively support slideshows, Kodi is a solid workaround it runs well alongside Recalbox and supports image slideshows, music, and video playback. For smooth performance, especially with HD content, it's best to use a Raspberry Pi 4 or newer with at least 2GB RAM. Store media in /share/media to avoid performance dips from external drives. Also, try converting videos to H.264 MP4 at 720p for best results this format typically balances quality and performance well on Pi-based systems.

[Ourcare131]

Issues with displaying photos and videos on Recalbox can stem from unsupported file formats, incorrect folder placement, or insufficient system resources. Recalbox primarily supports media through specific emulators or Kodi, so media files must be placed in the correct directories (like /recalbox/share/screenshots or accessed via Kodi). For videos, codec compatibility (e.g., H.264) is essential. If problems persist, updating Recalbox or checking storage device formats (like FAT32 or ext4) may help.

[Michelle9343]

Hey! Great to hear you're enjoying Recalbox for gaming. Regarding media playback — Recalbox can handle common formats like JPEG, PNG, and MP4 (preferably encoded with H.264 video and AAC audio). However, it isn’t optimized for high-res media, so if photos aren’t displaying properly or videos are choppy, try lowering the resolution. Recalbox doesn’t have a dedicated media folder, but you can create your own (e.g., /recalbox/share/photos/ or /videos/). Make sure your display settings match your screen’s resolution to avoid compatibility issues.

For better photo/video playback and slideshow features, I highly recommend using Wink Ai Video Enhancer or enabling Kodi from the main menu in Recalbox. It offers much smoother media handling, proper support for slideshows, and better codec compatibility. If you’re on a Raspberry Pi 3 or earlier, lag and freezing are likely due to hardware limitations — a Pi 4 handles media playback noticea

[charleseverhart]

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